Transforming Service Delivery to Reach the Underserved
Municipal infrastructure in Hyderabad, like many cities in the global South, has long fallen short of meeting the needs of the majority of the urban population. Unprecedented migration and informal settlement growth have outpaced the city’s ability to provide essential water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, leaving large swaths of the population underserved.
The consequences of this urban services divide are severe. Lack of access to clean water and safe sanitation takes a staggering toll on public health, with waterborne diseases and poor hygiene causing widespread illness and even loss of life, especially among children. The absence of reliable WASH infrastructure also constrains economic opportunities, as time and resources spent coping with unreliable services could otherwise be invested in education, entrepreneurship, and community development.
However, Hyderabad’s story is not one of unmitigated challenge. Through strategic partnerships, innovative financing, and a deep commitment to community engagement, the city has begun to make important strides in bridging the WASH infrastructure gap. These efforts hold valuable lessons for other cities grappling with similar issues of urban inequality and inadequate service provision.
Pioneering Participatory WASH Upgrades in Slum Communities
In 2015, the Hyderabad Municipal Development Authority (HMDA) launched a pioneering program to upgrade WASH infrastructure in the city’s informal settlements. Recognizing that traditional top-down approaches had failed to reach the most marginalized populations, the HMDA adopted a radically different strategy – one that placed community members at the center of the decision-making process.
The program, known as the Slum Networking Project (SNP), began with in-depth consultations with residents of target slum communities. Municipal officials and community organizers worked side-by-side to understand the unique challenges faced by each neighborhood, from unreliable water access to unsafe sanitation practices. Crucially, the process also identified the community’s own priorities and ideas for improvement.
Armed with this nuanced, locally-sourced data, the SNP team developed tailored infrastructure upgrade plans for each slum. These plans incorporated affordable, context-appropriate technologies, such as decentralized wastewater treatment systems and communal water kiosks. Equally important, the plans reflected the community’s vision, ensuring buy-in and a sense of ownership from the outset.
To finance the upgrades, the HMDA leveraged a blend of government funding, private sector contributions, and community cost-sharing. Residents were asked to contribute a small monthly fee towards the maintenance of new facilities, fostering a culture of collective responsibility. This collaborative approach was a stark departure from past unilateral infrastructure projects, which had often been abandoned due to lack of community engagement and ongoing support.
The results of the SNP have been impressive. In the first phase, the program successfully upgraded WASH services for over 60,000 slum dwellers across 16 communities. Waterborne disease rates plummeted, and residents reported significant improvements in their quality of life and economic opportunities. Emboldened by this success, the HMDA has expanded the SNP to additional slums, aiming to reach 300,000 people by 2025.
Integrating Informal Service Providers for Greater Impact
Recognizing that the municipal water and sanitation utility alone could not meet the needs of Hyderabad’s fast-growing informal settlements, the SNP team took an inclusive approach, actively engaging a range of alternative service providers.
In many slums, informal water vendors, latrine emptiers, and waste collectors had long filled critical gaps in public service delivery. However, these essential workers often operated in a legal gray area, without formal recognition or support. The SNP sought to change this dynamic, integrating informal providers as key partners in the infrastructure upgrade process.
For example, the program trained and licensed informal water vendors, enabling them to safely operate communal kiosks that provided affordable, high-quality drinking water to slum residents. Similarly, the SNP collaborated with informal pit latrine emptiers, supporting the development of fecal sludge management services that were both economically viable and environmentally sound.
By embracing informality rather than ignoring or suppressing it, the SNP was able to rapidly expand access to WASH services while also improving the livelihoods and working conditions of those providing the services. This mutually beneficial approach contrasted sharply with the city’s previous attempts to simply ban informal providers, which had only pushed the problem further underground.
Harnessing Community Data and Participation for Resilient Design
A key factor in the SNP’s success was its reliance on high-quality, community-generated data to guide infrastructure planning and implementation. Rather than relying solely on top-down assessments, the program team worked closely with residents to map existing WASH assets and service gaps, as well as to identify emerging risks and vulnerabilities.
This participatory data collection process not only ensured that upgrades addressed the most pressing needs, but also fostered a sense of community ownership. Residents saw themselves as active partners in shaping the future of their neighborhoods, rather than passive recipients of external interventions.
Crucially, the community data also informed efforts to make Hyderabad’s WASH infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change. By incorporating local knowledge of flood-prone areas, groundwater depletion, and other environmental threats, the SNP was able to design infrastructure solutions that could withstand these challenges.
For example, the program prioritized decentralized, nature-based wastewater treatment systems that could continue functioning even during extreme weather events. It also supported the restoration of urban wetlands and groundwater recharge zones, bolstering the city’s broader climate adaptation efforts.
Scaling Up Through Innovative Financing and Cross-Sector Partnerships
Securing the necessary funding to expand WASH services at scale has long been a major obstacle for Hyderabad and other cities in the global South. The SNP, however, has demonstrated the power of innovative financing approaches and strategic partnerships to overcome this challenge.
In addition to leveraging government budgets, the program has forged creative collaborations with the private sector and civil society organizations. Corporate social responsibility funds, for instance, have been channeled into slum WASH upgrades, while community-based nonprofits have provided critical technical assistance and on-the-ground mobilization.
Importantly, the SNP has also pioneered the use of land-based financing mechanisms, such as betterment levies and value capture tools. By harnessing the increased property values generated by improved infrastructure, the city has been able to reinvest these gains into further WASH upgrades, creating a virtuous cycle of investment and impact.
These multi-pronged financing strategies have been crucial in enabling the SNP to grow beyond its initial pilot phase. By 2020, the program had secured over $25 million in funding commitments, allowing it to reach thousands more slum dwellers with life-changing WASH services.
Building a Movement for Inclusive Urban Development
At its core, the Slum Networking Project in Hyderabad represents a fundamental shift in the way the city approaches urban service delivery. Rather than treating underserved communities as problems to be solved, the SNP has positioned them as essential partners in the pursuit of a more equitable and resilient future.
This inclusive, community-driven approach has yielded tangible results, but its broader significance lies in the cultural and political transformation it has catalyzed. By elevating the voices and priorities of marginalized residents, the SNP has helped to dismantle the entrenched power structures and biases that have long perpetuated the urban services divide.
Crucially, the program’s success has inspired other cities across India to follow Hyderabad’s lead. Local governments, civil society groups, and community leaders are now actively exchanging knowledge and collaborating to replicate the SNP’s model of participatory WASH upgrades. This emerging movement represents a powerful antidote to the top-down, technocratic approaches that have so often failed to meet the needs of the urban poor.
As Hyderabad continues to expand the Slum Networking Project, its story offers invaluable lessons for cities around the world grappling with the challenge of providing essential services to all. By elevating community voice, embracing informality, and pursuing innovative financing, the city has demonstrated that it is possible to build resilient, equitable, and sustainable WASH infrastructure – one neighborhood at a time.
Visit the Joint Action for Water website to learn more about successful community-driven initiatives and advocacy strategies for improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
